The Story of Who We Are
by The Light's Refrain
Summary: Everything about them worked, even if no one else understood how. Including themselves. Oh well, that was part of the fun. A drabble collection dedicated to ShauntalMarshal, aka Tattooshipping.
1. Aurora

_Hello! Welcome to a new drabble collection, this one focused on an under-appreciated pairing: ShauntalMarshal, aka Tattooshipping. I worked on this drabble collection with another fellow author, who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being, so the drabbles are the result of both of our writing. This collection was also written for The Alphabet Prompts Challenge on the Pokemon Fanfiction Challenges forum._

_The POV will switch between Shauntal and Marshal each drabble (though occasionally there will be an exception). The collection itself will update erratically. All the challenge drabbles are done, but most still need editing/proofreading to be ready for posting. The drabble timelines aren't necessarily going to be in order either._

_Well, I should shut up before my A/N gets longer than the drabble XP. Enjoy! _

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, there would be way more fanart of Tattooshipping. As of now, it's almost nonexistant...you guys! We need more fanart of these two! XD**

The Story of Who We Are

"_Fiction is obligated to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." -Mark Twain_

Drabble 1: Aurora

Shauntal remembered her first meeting with Marshal only because she would fall in love with him later. She had been reading a novel in the main chamber when the newest Elite Four member stomped in, declaring how he would be the proud disciple of the amazing Alder. Shauntal found this amusing, because the boy obviously wasn't aware of the Champion's constant absences. She didn't feel the need to point that out and ruin the newcomer's aspirations, however, and went on reading. The boy didn't even say hello to her as he passed by, probably not realizing she was also an Elite. This lack of recognition Shauntal was used to, and in fact preferred. It made it easier to be alone and get some writing done. Or even just enjoy her travels in peace.

It didn't take long for the new boy, Marshal, to realize that Alder was an elusive and fleeting as an aurora. Frustrated, he ranted to whoever would listen. Since Caitlyn utterly ignored him and Grimsley knew how to slip away at convenient moments, that usually left him with Shauntal. She didn't always appreciate it, especially when he burst in while she was in the middle of training or writing, but sometimes it was kind of nice to talk to someone so different. It was good story material if nothing else.

They often had arguments over morals. Action versus thought. Reality versus fantasy. Goku versus Vegeta (which was actually a lot more morally complicated than expected). And, despite disagreeing with him on so many subjects, Shauntal began to consider Marshal a friend. This felt a bit odd. Not because she didn't have friends (she had many in fact, not counting her Pokemon) but because she never had a friend like Marshal before. It made her reconsider many things.

Eventually, after the legendary dragon Zekrom tore through the castle that frightening day, when she saw Marshal lying pale and unconscious on the floor, it made her reconsider reality. And love, as she desperately kissed him, and ended up kissing him awake.

"...Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?" Marshal mumbled groggily.

Shauntal just laughed and hugged him tight. They paid no heed to the other wide-eyed Elite and staff, who slowly gathered around them like moths to a light.

_IIIIII_

_So what do you think so far? Feel free to let me know! _


	2. Fidelity

_Hello again! Here's the next drabble :). The timeline is not exactly in order, so this doesn't immediately follow after the first drabble. Also, an important warning: this drabble series has a little bit of plot here and there, but most of this is going to be pure fluff. Like this current drabble. So enjoy! XP_

Drabble 2: Fidelity

Marshal's fidelity to Shauntal was unmatched. He'd spend every waking moment with her if he could, if she let him. She occupied all of his daydreams and stray thoughts. Any extra cash or time he could afford always went to her in the form of books, stationary, plushies, candy, presents, snuggling, watching cartoons and naps. Sometimes Shauntal grew annoyed that she couldn't get enough time alone. Even so but only rarely did she ever ask Marshal to leave, so he knew she enjoyed his company.

With all the attention he gave her, it was only natural that Marshal share with her every good thing that happened to him, especially his achievements in battle and in training. One bright, sunny morning he staggered into her battle room, smiling, sweaty, and swaying off-kilter, almost as if he was drunk. In a sense he was. Marshal had run roughly nine miles that morning and the endorphins that made hard exercise feel so unnaturally good had long since kicked in. This was what marathon runners referred to as a "runner's high."

Breathing heavily through upturned lips, he shuffled across the shady room, looking for Shauntal and wondering why it was so dark. It was ten o'clock in the morning and yet the curtains were still drawn, affording only tiny bits of light to slip out either sides. More than once his feet knocked over a stack of books and he winced.

"Shauntal?" he said. "Shauntal, guess what? I beat my record by four minutes today. Four minutes!"

Marshal and his Pokemon went running every other morning, to the start of Victory Road and back. Sometimes he encountered Trainers, like that nerdy kid with the glasses who always beat him, and would go back to battle them later. Marshal always timed himself, so he could beat the time the on the next run, forcing himself to get faster and faster. It wasn't uncommon for him to beat his record, but normally it was by ten to thirty seconds. A minute if he really pushed himself. It had been years since he'd cut this much time away in one go.

"Shauntal?" Marshal called again. At last he found her, still in her nightgown, bundled up in her thick Shuppet colored covers, and snoring so softly he could barely hear it. Marshal smiled, realizing he should've known. He went to bed early so he could get up early to train, while Shauntal spent long nights writing. Quietly he left, promising himself to tell her later and wondering if he'd have to wake her up when the challengers started coming in.

IIIIII

That same night, Shauntal came into Marshal's battle room with a big smile on her face. "Marshal," she cried excitedly, holding up a fat stack of papers. "I did it! I finally finished the last novel in the Darkrai series! My publisher's gonna be so happy!"

In irony unbeknownst to her, she heard a snore that could've belonged to a Snorlax and looked down, seeing the plain mattress on the floor with bright orange covers, twisted and wrinkled over the restless body of her sleeping boyfriend. She thought about waking him but soon remembered _Oh right, he's had a long day of training and battling challengers. I'll tell him tomorrow. But... _She decided to give him a nice surprise for beating his record, as he'd so eagerly informed her earlier that day. Gently she slipped under the covers and into the mattress beside him. She wrapped her arms around his big, strong shoulders and went to sleep, knowing how happy it would make him when he woke up the next day.

_IIIIII_

_LOL to different sleeping/working hours :P. Feel free to tell me what you think!_


	3. Embalm

_Hi! Back with the latest drabble. This one's short and fluffy despite the prompt word :)_

**Drabble 3: Embalm**

Being a dedicated writer often meant doing your research, and a lot of it. Otherwise your story's believability would be shattered by those knowledgeable on the subject. So Shauntal often found herself looking up things related to her current story. This would often lead to its own interesting diversions, or at least to some very strange subjects.

"Why are you Googling embalming?" asked Marshal, when he popped in after his run. His sweaty scent was strangely fragrant as he peered over her shoulder.

"Because I need it for my story," Shauntal explained. "You see, the killer used to embalm bodies, so I need to know how it's done..."

"Can I watch?" he asked.

"Why?" Shauntal asked. "Do you want to learn about embalming too?"

"No," Marshal answered. "I just like to spend time with you. Because I love you."

"I love you too," Shauntal said with a smile. "Okay, you can stay if you want. It'll probably be pretty boring, though, so leave whenever you want."

"Okay," said Marshal.

Marshal stayed there for the whole two hours. The only reason the research was taking that long was because he kept on cuddling her. Sometimes she rued the days she kept her door unlocked.

She didn't rue them enough to actually keep her door locked, though.

_IIIIII_

_Well, hope you guys are enjoying things so far! We have a mix of fluffy and more serious drabbles, so let us know what kinds of drabbles you want. The default is fluff for now, unless you want otherwise. Also feel free to give us ideas/prompts for future drabbles, though there are 20-some now so it'll be awhile before any new ideas get posted. I want to post the challenge drabbles before any new stuff, and there's one for each letter so...yeah. XD But hey, ideas are welcome anytime!_


	4. Jujitsu

_Hello everyone! This time we have a battle along with the fluff! Enjoy!_

**Drabble 4: Jujitsu**

Marshal was having a Brazilian Jujitsu match with his Throh. He and the red-skinned Pokemon rolled and tossed each other around the mats in his battle room. Each was trying to put the other in a lock that caused so much pain that the other would half to tap their hand on the floor for mercy.

"Come on Marshall! You can do it!" Shauntal yelled from the lowest seat in the stands, right on the edge of the arena. Her legs nervously jiggled in her seat.

Her voice gave him confidence as he and the Throh circled, arms held wide as if they both wanted to hug. Marshal lunged forward on one knee grabbed Throh's legs, trying to yank them out from under him. In response, the barrel-bodied pokemon fell on top of him, wrapping an arm around his neck in a classic guillotine.

"Get your head out of there!" she squalled, jumping ot her feet. "He's trying to choke you!"

_Oh really? _Marshal thought, frustrated. _Never would've figured that out. _He used the textbook defense, tucking in his chin tight to his chest and slowly slipping his head out. Throh stood up again and so did he.

"Get him Marshal!" Shauntal shouted, not only slightly less panicky. "Push him down or grab him... or something."

"You're not helping, Shauntal!" Marshal said patiently as he locked arms with his Pokemon. Thro was shorter, heavier and had a lower center of gravity. It had an advantage in this position, which it proved by stepping around Marshal's front leg and shoving him with a powerful shoulder, so that he tripped over Throh's leg.

"Oh... I'm sorry!" Shauntal yelled guiltily as her boyfriend fell on his back and his Throh climbed on top of him. Marshal had to wrap his legs around the Pokemon's huge girth to keep it from fully mounting him. "Just keep trying! I know you can win! You're toughest, bravest boyfriend ever!"

That was just what Marshal needed to hear. With newfound strength, he lifted his trunk up and grabbed one of Throh's arms. He pulled it down and then unlocked his legs, quickly re-wrapping one over the back of Throh's thick neck and curling the other down over his own ankle. This trapped the Pokemon's neck between his legs its right arm and his legs, a perfect triangle choke.

"You've got him now!" Shauntal screamed. "Finish it. Choke him!"

Marshal squeezed his curled leg tighter and tighter, closing the gap around Throh's neck, cutting off the blood flow to its brain. As he expected, the red Pokemon was too proud to tap out. It struggled and writhed and turned blue as a Sawk until it went limp and passed out. Marshal backrolled nimbly and leaped to his feet, glad of his victory. He took out a Pokeball and returned his valiant Throh, just as Shauntal ran up and glomped him. he gave an _oof_ of surprise as they toppled to the mats.

"You were great!" She said, kissing him all over the face. "I knew you'd win!"

"Yeah, thanks for believing in me," Marshal said, hugging her. "I'm always happy to show you the different styles I know for your books, but please don't try to give me advice. You don't know what you're talking about and it distracts me."

The purple haired girl's eyes looked down. "Sorry," she said glumly. "I just…I don't like seeing you get hurt…A-And not being able to doing anything about it. Like…Like with N…"

"No, I'm sorry," Marshal, said, suddenly remorseful. "You were just trying to help."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Shauntal replied, still feeling guilty.

"I'm so sorry," Marshall replied.

"I'm so sorry," said Shauntal, smiling now.

"I'm so sorry," Marshal repeated, grinning as well.

"I'm so-"

"We get it!" Grimsley yelled from the door below the stadium. "You're both sorry! Now stop cooing before I throw up! It echoes, you know!"

"I'm so sorry," Shauntal continued, still smiling.

"I'm so sorry."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

_IIIIII_

_Did you understand the description of the battle? Hope you enjoyed, and feel free to let me know what you thought of the drabble overall! What's your fave drabble so far?_


	5. Karma

_Hi again! I just found out that there's only like five other stories under the Shauntal/Marshal search XD. _

_Anyway, this drabble actually focuses more on Grimsley than Shauntal and Marshal. I hope you enjoy anyway :). _

**Drabble 5: Karma**

Leave it to Grimsley's dark, lonely mind to notice how Shauntal and Marshal's initials were S and M.

"My my, so would that make you the sadist and Marshal the masochist?" Grimsley rambled on. He and Shauntal were playing card games in the main hall. "Though that makes sense actually. You write horror novels and he constantly puts himself through the pain of training and fighting. Still, you must tell us the details sometime. Does Marshal make a nice little slave?"

Shauntal felt her face grow hot as anger flared in her chest, as Grimsley threw down his final card and won the game. She stayed silent, however, watching Grimsley gather his winnings and go back to his room.

He really should know better than to mess with her and Marshal by now. Her silence was not a sign of acceptance, but of containment.

IIIIII

Grimsley barely raised an eyebrow at the pentagram posted on his door. He worked with Dark-types after all. He assumed it was a loan shark with a sense of humor and went on with his day.

He began to think more of it when the electric staircase refused to work and the candles remained unlit. Sometimes he heard cackling that sounded suspiciously like Ghost-types.

_Really Shauntal? _thought Grimsley. _What a lame prank. _In fact, he was getting a lot of amusement from his visitor's reactions to the malfunctions and strange cries.

He gave Shauntal slightly more credit when the candles suddenly blazed several feet high and various things in the room began spinning through the air. The cackling became a rapid murmuring, rising in pitch and speed. The objects and some of the fire whipped around like they were in a tornado. But Grimsley stood there quietly, even smirking, as he watched the chaos spiraling around him. He knew it was all for show, Shauntal's over-dramatic display of disapproval.

And suddenly it all ended. The candles flames returned to their ordinary sizes. The items dropped like shot birds, littering the stairway. There was nothing but silence. At first.

Then there were scornful mutterings. Grimsley assumed it was the Ghost-type Pokemon again, but as the volume increased he realized they were human voices.

"Wastrel..."

"You failed us..."

"Fool..."

But what unnerved Grimsley was that he knew those voices. As grey forms materialized around him, he recognized the faces of family and servants of his house, all frowning. All dead.

_No, they shouldn't be dead... _thought Grimsley. _I only got cast out because of my debts and gambling. They were all alive then...but when was the last time I talked to any of them...?_

An especially large spirit formed in front of Grimsley, a thickly-built man wearing a velvet cloak. This wraith seemed not only displeased, but wrathful with the beak-nosed mortal before him.

"Is this all?" the large man asked, looking about the room disdainfully. "This is what you threw away family and fortune for? Pathetic dreams yield such miniscule results."

Despite his guilt and terror, Grimsley felt rage bubble up inside of him. "I am who I am, father. And I was never you, with your miserly, hermit ways."

"Which is why you'll never become anything!" roared the father, growing bigger by the second. His misty grey bulk swallowed the platform, the other spirits, and Grimsley. "You lazy, worthless, weak, _shameful_-"

IIIIII

Grimsley woke curled up on the floor of his battle room, which was untouched. He barely had enough sense to notice a Drifblim and Cofagrigus flit away laughing. They disappeared through the walls soon after.

"...Dammit," Grimsley muttered, getting up. He looked to his Xtransceiver, and saw only a few minutes had past. Time sure dragged when you were in misery, especially when entranced in both Hypnosis and Nightmare attacks. "Jeez, it was just a joke..."

He wondered if she and Marshal were laughing about it now. Probably. Well, screw them. Screw karma too. Screw the past. Only the present mattered.

_IIIIII_

_Moral of the story: don't piss off Shauntal XP. _

_Side note: Drilblim can learn Hypnosis as an egg move, while Cofagrigus can learn Nightmare as an egg move. So basically they were working together to put Grimsley to sleep and plunge him into a nightmare. _


	6. Lacerate

_Hi again! This time we've got a all-out brawl for you guys. Enjoy! :)_

**Drabble 6: Lacerate**

A swipe of Bruno's claw-like fingers lacerated Marshal's favorite jacket, four long rips down the left breast. Luckily Marshal's last second back step just barely allowed the flesh underneath to remain unscathed. He skipped forward, shooting out his left leg in hopes of returning the favor to Bruno's face, but Brawly snatched his leg mid kick and locked it tight against his side. He lunged forward with those powerful surfer's legs and Marshal fell on his back. As he did, he caught a glimpse of Korrina's heel, just before it disappeared, replaced by a small cloud of dust and the sound of a pained grunt from Chuck. It was so strange seeing seeing her bare feet without her trademark roller skates.

The Master's Annual Trial was the one event that Marshal eagerly awaited each year. It was one of the few times where he could show off his full strength as a fighter. The prize was the right to decide all of the training they did at the next one, as well as bragging rights as the best fighter in the world. He had never won it before, but this year Marshal had a new reason to aim for victory this year…

Brawly mounted Marshal, punching him in the face once, twice, thrice, smoothly swaying his trunk backwards and out of range every time Marshal tried to grab for it. But when the fourth blow came, Marshal pulled one leg out from under the brawler and wrapped them both around the enemy leg between them. Marshal weighed much more than the surfer and with one twist of his huge hips, the two fighters rolled and Marshal was on top.

From his new vantage point, Marshal saw Chuck take a massive forward step that shook the ground beneath him, rocketing a punch straight at Bruno. Bruno simply ducked to the right, avoiding it and bringing his body back up with an uppercut that smashed Chuck in the chin. His head whipped up and the big-bellied master fell limply on his face, unconscious. One down. Though powerful, Chuck had always been the slowest, the quickest to tire and generally the first one out. Over by the sheer gray rock face, Korrina was swiftly wearing Maylene down, with those lightning fast kicks of hers that seemed to slice right through her enemies and leave a skin-colored trail in the air.

Marshal took all this in with an upward flick of his eyes. Then he hammered one fist down onto Brawly's forearms, locked together to guard his face. Marshal could've broken through, but that would've taken to long and Bruno was headed his way. Instead he drove a fist into the surfer's belly, making him cry out and move his hands toward the source of the pain. That was his weakness. Brawly could redirect nearly any attack, making all the best kicks and punches useless. Force him into a corner, however, or against a hard place, and he'd crumple, too unused to pain.

Marshal slammed another hammer fist down on Brawly's nose, knocking him out instantly. Blood seeped from the surfers nostrils as Marshal leaped up and walked forward to meet his true opponent. Bruno was striding toward him as well, slowly, methodically, studying him like he always did. Their eyes were fearless, their fists tight. Maylene jumped out of nowhere, flying at Bruno from the side with kick that made her body a straight line. Somehow she had beaten Korrina, who now lay slumped against the rocks.

Bruno sidestepped and slashed a ridged hand chop into the side of her head, knocking her out in midair. Her body careened past him, rolling through the dirt toward the edge of the cliff, though not close enough for concern. Bruno continued walking.

The wind howled in Marshal's ears as he paced toward his rival. He was panting, but the thin mountain air could not provide the stamina he needed. Of course that was one of the many purposes of mountain training.

When the two were roughly three feet apart, they sank into their stances and waited. Marshal made the first move, a quick lift of his right leg. Bruno moved to block it, but it was fake. Marshal used the momentum of the first leg to spur the second, snapping his right foot up into Bruno's face. Marshal smiled, but it turned to a frown when Bruno gave no reaction. His head hadn't even moved from the impact.

"I hope for your sake, you can do better than that." Bruno said, before smashing an iron fist into Marshal's head. Marshal staggered back, dizzied and knowing Bruno would take advantage of it. He felt the calused edge of a foot stab into his ribs and another fist nail his jaw.

_No! _He thought. _Not this year! _He planted his feet, wide and solid with the knees bent. When Bruno came at him again, ducked to the right, just as Bruno had done with Chuck. Now that he was in close, able to smell the giant, steel-muscled warrior, he put both hands behind Bruno's head and yanked down into his knee, which he drove upward as hard as he could. He did this once, twice, three times, four, until he realized Bruno was out cold. He let the larger fighter fall and ran toward the huge jug of water that sat on a flat-topped stone at the edge of the packed-dirt arena. The fighters had all taken turns carrying the thing on their run up the mountain. Marshal took a long swig and then walked around to each of his unconscious friends, dowsing them awake and then offering them a drink.

Later, when everyone had sufficiently recovered, they all congratulated Marshal on his first victory of the Master's Annual Trial. The others were all good sports and happy for him, but none more so than Bruno, who gave him a hearty slap on the back.

"I've won the brawl every year for the past sixteen years," he said. "It was beginning to get boring, but now I finally have a goal to work for again. Thank you my friend."

"Yeah, it was about time someone took Big Brute Bruno down a peg," said Maylene rubbing her head and giving Bruno a friendly punch in the arm.

"Thanks guys," Marshal said, half staring off at the town below the mountain.

"You fought a lot harder this year," Brawly chimed in. "Was it your new girlfriend motivating you?"

Marshal wasn't even embarrassed. "Yeah, I promised her I'd win this year. She told me I could do it."

"Aww, that's so cute," Korrina cooed.

"Love is the strongest muscle of all," Bruno agreed, before standing up. "Well, we better go check on the Pokemon and see which one of them won this year."

_I miss Shauntal_, Marshal thought as he walked beside his fellow martial artists. _Wonder what she's doing right now?_

_IIIIII_

_Was the fight epic enough? Did it all make sense? Feel free to let me know! Also let me know what kind of stories you would like to see in the future!_


	7. Quiescence

_Hi again! Thanks to all that have read, reviewed, followed and favorited so far!_

_Here's a little drabble that many of us writers can relate to :)_

**Drabble 7 - Quiescence**

Shauntal knew she didn't seem like a super-ambitious person. In fact, there were many days kept in quiescence. She would read, play with her Pokemon, hang out with Marshal, train her Pokemon, hang out with Marshal, play some video games, read some more, hang out with Marshal, play with her Pokemon some more, battle some challengers (who almost never failed to underestimate her), hang out with Marshal, and do just about everything except the one thing she enjoyed most: writing. Sometimes she left her scribing to the end of the day, or in-between battles, or when waiting for Alder to show up to his own scheduled meeting (he was almost always late).

But then there were the days of passion and inspiration, when Shauntal wanted to do nothing else _but_ write. Those were the days that she locked herself up in her chambers, opening it only for incoming challengers. She had enough drinks and snacks to hole up in their for days, though this had yet to become necessary. In that state of mind she could write over 20 pages a day. And in that state of mind, she hated being interrupted. Ever. Even Marshal had limited access to her, which would put him in a pouting mood. (One day he impersonated everything from a CoolTrainer to a grandfather challenger trying to get into her room. It didn't work, mostly because his acting was horrendous. Though it did result in Shauntal throwing a book at an _actual_ challenger, and profuse apologizing afterward.)

Shauntal felt bad about avoiding Marshal at such times. She loved Marshal so much, but this was _writing_. This was the reason she _existed_, to spin tale after terrifying tale (well, not all her stories were scary, but most of them were). Knowing that people all over the world awaited her stories and enjoyed them, that those stories would last beyond her own lifetime...that was true immortality.

But then the passion would fade, and then it was back to having a life again. But Shauntal supposed that it was meant to be that way - she would burn herself out if she wrote nonstop all the time. The lazy days were just her mind refueling for the next creative spurge. And besides, she needed time for Marshal too. He was always so patient with her, even on days when her so-called politeness was as translucent as smudged glass. She knew she was hard to deal with on those days when her quiescence took over. But he loved her anyway. And that's why she loved him.

_IIIIII_

_Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think :)_


	8. Wyvern

_Hello! This time we're giving a glimpse into one of Marshal's Pokemon matches :)_

**Drabble 8: Wyvern**

The black and purple blur swooped down and sliced across Marshal's Mienshao. The floppy pawed, droopy mustached, creamy furred Pokemon cried loudly as it dropped to the mats, unconscious. This was the second Pokemon he'd lost to this unfamiliar creature. The dark winged pokemon returned to it's trainer's side with three powerful flaps. It was a large, tight-skinned, black and purple wyvern Pokemon with sharp little red claws and two huge bat-like ears. Its trainer, a bird keeper with a long cape, black hair and a cocky smile rubbed the back of its head. The creature gave a strange, high pitched coo, emitting some kind of ultrasonic wave that hurt Marshal's ears.

"It's a Noivern," the arrogant young man answered, as if reading Marshal's thoughts, "from a region across the sea. My team is filled with others like it, Pokemon you've never even heard of. May as well give up now."

Marshal clenched his fist and held it. _Keep calm, _he thought. Marshal had a knack for losing his temper and beating his problems away. He could think of no less than a hundred ways to crush this smart-mouthed boy, make him cry out in pain until respect was learned. But this was not his dojo, nor the cage, nor the ring. Attacking him physically would lose him his title, giving the youth just what he wanted.

No, Shauntal had taught him to be patient, take his time and think of a solution before he acted. She would often leave a problem alone for hours or even days while in the meantime, she danced around her battle room to music, read a book, or just talked to Marshal about it. Without fail, she would eventually come up with something: she just needed to take her mind off it. However, she and Grimsley had already lost to this challenger.

Marshal stared at the Noivern, studying it with the Zoom Lens scrutiny only a warrior could attain from battle. It was definitely a dual type. One type could've been either dark or dragon or something different altogether, but the wings told him all he needed to know.

"You're stalling," the boy sighed, tapping his foot impatiently. "Just forfeit if you're gonna take all day."

"Go," Marshal yelled, tossing out a Pokeball that released his Sawk, a small, hardy, blue skinned Pokemon with a martial arts uniform much like his own.

The trainer grinned. "Air Slash!" he commanded. Noivern swiped the air and sent out a shockwave at Sawk. It was the same move that had taken out Mienshao and Breloom before him, both instant knockouts. Sawk was more resilient however, crossing it's arms and bravely absorbing the attack. Its Sturdy ability allowed it to keep standing with the little health it had left.

Now it was Marshal's turn to sneer. "Stone Edge!" he shouted and with a roar and a leap, Sawk punched through the floor mats, breaking the concrete beneath. Six sharp jagged pieces of the cement flew straight up and struck the strange bat-dragon. The Noivern squawked in pain and fell toward the floor,

The trainer grunted and stomped his foot as he recalled his Pokemon.

"You must learn humility," Marshal said, half advice and half insult. "Only one who knows his own strength can ever hope to be Champion."

The bird keeper grimaced, looking almost afraid as he sent out his next Pokemon. It was only a Golbat. He had been lying.

_IIIIII_

_Well, hope you enjoyed! Until next time!_


	9. Galvanic

_Hello again! This one's short, but important :)_

**Drabble 9: Galvanic**

Shauntal gaped in utter fascination and terror as the great black dragon shot down her Pokemon one by one. The galvanic creature moved with such power and grace at once, its roars shaking the bookshelves. Zekrom, the dragon of ideals, long thought to be myth, was all too corporeal before her. Suddenly, she was keenly aware of reality again, that blood rushed through her veins and breath inflated her lungs. It was glorious, an ideal surpassing mere dreams.

Even more unbelievable than the legendary Pokemon was the boy who strode alongside it. The green-haired youth was a living paradox, a clockwork dream that both honored and defied destiny. One who spoke truth through unknowing lies. Did that boy understand what he really was? That tainted pureness that emanated through his practiced grins and movements was scarier than the lightning his dragon he wielded.

As the strange youth and the dragon exited, leaving behind the pungent scent of charred books and sulfur, Shauntal stood in a stupor. The world would change. Her fantasies were nothing. And Marshal...oh Arceus Marshal. Would he be alright? She hadn't even told him that she...

There was a distant dragon's roar, following by the bellow of a another Pokemon

"Come on Throh, crush his face!" she heard Marshal shout, his determined voice reverberating over and over in the empty halls.

_IIIIII_

_So the next few drabbles will be focused on N-related things, and so will have slightly more plot. Hope you enjoyed!_


	10. Yearning

_N battle part 2, aka Marshal's showdown against him. Pretty long drabble this time._

**Drabble 10: Yearning**

Throh grabbed the monstrous black beast by the jaws. He was strong enough to keep them open and away for a moment before they closed on him. Zekrom spat the unconscious Pokemon at Marshal's feet, who quickly recalled his friend to its Pokeball.

Marshal grunted in frustration. "You might beat me. I can't deny that, but what's all this gonna solve in the end? You'll destroy thousands of friendships, like the one you have with Big Black there."

"I do not own Zekrom," the green haired youth replied, in a holier-than-thou tone that gave Marshal a yearning to break his face. "He fights because we share a cause, to end this violence and slavery."

"Well look at Mr. Hippy McHyprocite," Marshal replied, masking his rage, but not the shaking his arms and legs. "You don't think my Pokemon and I share a cause, that we don't care about each other, that they're with me because I own them? Look at yourself, you slime haired brat! You're battling with a Pokemon just like me. How are you different from anyone else?"

"Ah, but as you said before, I'm going to win. I will win, because my ideals are stronger. They are right. That is what Zekrom represents. I said the same to your literature-loving friend a few minutes ago."

_Shauntal_! Marshal thought. "What did you do to her? I swear to Arceus, if you hurt her, I'll-"

"Defeated, only," Green-Head cut in. "I am no brute who uses violence on his own kind, as I can tell you are from your attire."

That was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back.

Marshal shook his head, chuckling. "Boy, you picked the wrong fight today." He threw his last ball and out came a brown, musclebound creature with a large red nose and two huge cement columns in his massive three-fingered hands. "Conkeldurr, Hammer Arm!"

"Dur!" The heavy-handed Pokemon roared as it dropped its right column, raised a gigantic fist and slammed it into the ground, ripping through the mats and crushing the concrete underneath. A great crater spread from the impact point, sending cracks skittering to all corners of the arena. A cloud of chalky dust enveloped Marshal's side. Zekrom cried out as rocks flew up and bounced off his body, inflicting minor damage. The green-haired boy made nervous sounds as he was rocked by the quake. He soon recovered.

"Fusion Bolt," shouted the boy, his voice cracking with the high pitch of adolescence.

Zekrom's body sparked. Tiny blue bolts zipped around him faster and faster until he was surrounded by a ball of azure lightning. The huge dragon charged, clearing the dust cloud and ramming it's head into the much smaller opponent. Conkeldurr flew backward and blasted into the far wall, fainting without so much as a sound. N had won the battle.

As the final attack ended, something slammed into him from behind, knocking him to the mats. He felt quick, practiced legs locking around his midsection and steely hands grip his chin and the back of his head.

"Sorry, kid," Marshal said, no more humor in his voice. "But I can't let you tear apart all those partners out there, and put my Shauntal's life in danger with all this destruction." This was merciless, Marshal knew, but his priorities had never been clearer. All the bonds between Pokemon and humans in the world, all the people and Pokemon this crazy kid might hurt, _was_ hurting to get what he wanted, were worth more than his one, confused, corrupted life. "You did beat me. Congrats, but my ideals are stronger. I am more powerful than you." He began twisting the boy's head to the left using the leverage he had on both sides of it. He remembered years ago when his master had taught him this technique, but told him never to use it, unless life was at stake. He wasn't sure if this counted or not.

Marshal prepared for the final jerk that would snap the boy's neck, but then felt his arms and legs peeled away from the boy by some invisible force. He growled and fought it with all his might, but soon the green-haired lad was free and Zekrom's Psychic attack tossed him across the stadium, into the concrete wall. He cried out as he felt his skull crack and slid to the floor.

His eyes were growing dark as he saw Conkeldurr, slumped over next to him. _I shouldn't have sacrificed you for my cheap shot_. He thought. _But it was the only way... The only way I could keep us together. Maybe that kid is right._

"Our ideals are stronger," N said, as his voice and the world grew more darker and more distant. "We are more powerful than you."

_And the strongest one is always right..._

_IIIIII_

_So what do you think of Marshal's decision during this battle? Understandable? Overkill? Let us know what you think._


	11. Obituary

_Hi! Because some people were wondering, Marshal and Shauntal are about 16-18 in these drabbles. I couldn't find any official ages for them._

**Drabble 11: Obituary **

It had been almost a year since N came to the League and thrashed all its members, and even Alder. The castle the green-haired boy had summoned behind had been mostly torn down, and the Pokemon League building had been repaired. But there was still a quiet unease through the League, knowing that they had been beaten so swiftly by that rascal and his legendary Pokemon. If that kid hadn't chased after N and ultimately defeated him and Ghetsis...

"I still can't believe they haven't caught that guy yet!" Marshal ranted, as he pummeled his punching bag. "I mean, how hard can it be to find a freakishly tall green-haired guy on a big black dragon?"

Shauntal leaned back against the wall, watching as he switched to snappy kicks. "Well, it's a big world out there. He's probably in another region by now."

"Guess no one in that region was man enough to arrest him," Marshal growled.

Shauntal paused. "...Really, I think it's good he hasn't been found."

Marshal stopped his training. "What, you want him to get away?"

"N wasn't really the leader. He was just getting used by that Ghetsis guy," Shauntal explained. "He was doing it for the wrong reasons, but...that bond between him and the legendary was real. They were supposed to be together. And a legendary like that wouldn't choose someone that was evil."

"What he did was wrong," Marshal countered. "Didn't some of his own guys died during the frenzy at his castle? If he cared about them, he would honor their memory by turning himself in."

"And yet all those Plasma Grunts got were a footnote in the papers," Shauntal mused. "None of them even got an obituary..."

"That N guy will get his own obituary if the right people find him," Marshal said. "Many people hate him, you know."

"But a lot of people love him too, and not just members of Team Plasma," Shauntal countered. "He's helped many people better understand their Pokemon on the way. They'll be in an uproar if he's caught. Unova's unstable enough as it is. Putting him in jail isn't going to solve anything."

"It'll solve the Team Plasma problem," Marshal replied. "Let them know what happens to upstarts who steal Pokemon."

"I think he has the potential to do great things to help others, if he's just given the chance," Shauntal added. "That's why he shouldn't be found, at least right now."

"...I guess," Marshal answered. "But I still don't like the guy."

"That's okay," Shauntal said with a smile. "It's debatable."

"But I love you."

"And I love you too," Shauntal answered. "Because we can agree to disagree."

Marshal still seemed restless, however, as he continued striking his punching bag more fiercely.

_IIIIII_

_Doesn't sound like it's over, does it? :) It's not, and will be addressed more next time._


	12. Battalion

_A longer one this time, continuing from the last Shauntal one. Enjoy!_

**Drabble 12: Battalion**

Marshal was deep inside the caves of Victory Road when Shauntal found him, rubbing down a massive deer Pokemon with stony antlers, feeding it Pecha berries. The Pokemon bayed, making a deep, gravelly sound. Marshal was wearing a large orange backpack.

"I know, it's great to see you too Terrakion," Marshal said kindly, scratching it behind the antlers. "Hope your ready for long ride."

Shauntal gasped at the sight of the legendary Pokemon. She stepped forward lightly, hoping not to alert either of them.

"I can hear you, you know," Marshal said without turning around. "You know you can't sneak up on me, Shauntal. I've been trained to hear every sound, no matter how small."

At hearing this, Shauntal ran up to him, but Marshal did not hug her like he usually did. Instead he mounted Terrakion, causing it to roar in pride. He looked down at her, stern and hard.

"I didn't know you'd caught a legendary," Shauntal said, her voice high and timid.

"I didn't," Marshal replied. He patted Terrakion's snout. "I am a master of fighting types and so is Terrakion. We respect each other and he's helped me out on more than one occasion. That N, kid said Zekrom was his friend... well I've got friends too. Terrakion's brothers and their student Keldeo will be joining us, our own little battalion of fighting types."

"Marshal, what are you gonna do?" Shauntal asked concernedly.

"I'm gonna go find him," Marshal said. Terrakion began trotting out of the Trial Cave. "I love you Shauntal, but someone has to do this. N committed crimes and he has to pay for them. If he wants to help people or Pokemon, he has to make right what he did first, take responsibility."

"Why?" Shauntal asked, nearly in tears. They weren't tears of sadness or fright, but of anger. "Why can't you just let it go? Everyone else has. It's already over. This won't change anything."

"Yeah, but N set a bad example," Marshal stated. "He let people know that anyone can just stomp all over this league, this region and the law whenever they feel like it, as long as they have the strength. That's wrong, Shauntal and you know it. Now he needs to be made an example of if we want to this region to be safe, if we don't want some other "hero" to come through here and trample on the innocent. They could kill people, Shauntal. It's my job to prevent that."

"That's not the real reason. You're just taking revenge," Shauntal said, following behind him. She did not yell, but her words were low and cutting like a Scyther's blade. "You're just mad because he beat you and now you wanna return the favor. I know you Marshal and I know how well you hold a grudge. I know you feel, but you're just gonna stir up the fighting again and that's gonna hurt even more people. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

"I'd rather the world be blind than let Team Plasma have it," Marshal said. "A long time ago, Team Rocket took over the Kanto region. Not outright, but they owned it, sure enough. They sold Pokemon in casinos and they had their own gym! People everywhere were afraid of them, afraid to take their Pokemon out in the open, to run their daily business. They stole people's Pokemon like candy from kids, just like Team Plasma did. That fool Lance should have ridden out on his Dragonite and killed them all, rather then letting them hurt people for years until the police finally rounded them all up. I'm not gonna let that happen here, _ever_. It's better for two nations to destroy each other, than for one to take the other as it's slave."

Marshal rode out, Terrakion's hooves clacking loudly against the rock as it sped into a canter. Shauntal stood there, hands clenched, debating whether to follow or not. Ultimately she decided to return to the League. Marshal would listen to no one when he was like that. Let the brute figure things out himself.

IIIIII

Shauntal lay restless in her bed, tossing and turning in the dark as she thought about Marshal. He was right, but he was also wrong and she hadn't been able to stop him, because she couldn't figure out what to say. Now it had been two weeks since she had heard from him, and she was worried.

Suddenly, she felt a heavy body slip in next to her, strong corded muscles wrap her up in a hug.

"I'm so sorry," Marshal whispered. She could tell he'd been crying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Shauntal replied, nuzzling his steely shoulder.

"I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry."

They cried together, wept in each others arms and afterward they laughed, wondering why they had ever argued in the first place.

"What happened?" Shauntal asked?

"I found him," Marshal said. "He agreed with me on everything, told me how wise I was. At first I thought he was just trying to butter me up, but then he offered himself up, said he'd come peacefully. I stood there with my mouth open like an idiot for a few minutes and then we just got to talking, about what he'd been doing since the incident. You were right Shauntal. He's giving them back. He's giving all those Pokemon back and so are the Plasma members who are still loyal to him. I wanted him to pay for what he did and he is, he's overdone it for months, in a way he never could from inside a jail cell. You should've seen him, how happy he makes the Pokemon around him and the people too. I couldn't take him in, Shauntal. It wasn't his fault. It was Ghetsis's. He'd raised him from childhood to be a villain, but he chose not to be."

"I know," Shauntal said, in a tone that screamed _duh_. "I told you that, remember?" She playfully swatted him on the head with her palm.

"I know, I'm sorry," Marshal said again. Then his voice was firm again "But justice still needs to be served if this region is to be safe. I'm going to catch Ghetsis."

Shauntal nodded. "That's fair," she agreed. "He's the one that deserves to pay. Now stop being violent for tonight and snuggle me." She pulled him closer.

Marshal smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

_IIIIII_

_We'll be seeing more fluffy drabbles for the next few chapters :P_


	13. Isoform

_A short one this time. This prompt word was hard to do. I didn't even know what it meant until I looked it up XD. Enjoy!_

**Drabble 13: Isoform**

Shauntal was admittedly surprised when Marshal wanted to learn how to write, but she gladly accepted his request. She always enjoyed helping people (contrary to what any of her novels suggested), and writing was her forte.

Her student boyfriend had a lot to learn. Marshal was great at fight scenes, of course, but he tended to neglect depth and characters for fast-paced action and plot. It was hard explaining to him that readers are more invested in stories when people cared about the characters entangled in said plot.

The other issue was that he was simply a different kind of writer than she was. Shauntal had encountered two main types of writers in her travels: ones like her, who let the story flow out of her and cleaned it up later, and ones like Marshal, who had to meticulously plan every detail before ever putting the pen to the page. She was always there reading over his work and offering suggestions, but sometimes her style didn't translate well into his. She didn't have to think of how to put a plot twist into a story: it simply happened naturally because of the characters. She didn't ask _Would that character say that? _but _Why would that character sat that?. _Was there something about the character she didn't understand yet? Such questions didn't make sense to Marshal, who saw his characters as carefully constructed puppets created to orchestrate a clear moral or practical message. They would debate over everything from outlines to city names to sentence structures for hours, days even.

But somehow, in its own wonderful, stressful, confusing way, it was fun. Shauntal loved how, through all the rampant generation and destruction, she saw Marshal's story coming together. And she knew he would complete it, because Marshal never gave up on anything, even if he complained about a certain scene not working out right for fifteen minutes.

And in the end they were isoform, so different yet the same in essence. And that was why they worked as both writers and lovers.

_IIIIII_

_I had to bend the meaning of the word to make it work, but I hoped you liked it anyway!_


	14. Dominion

_This one's pretty straightforward. Hope you like it!_

**Drabble 14: Dominion**

Marshal jogged up to the massive rugged stone. It stood right in the center of a clearing deep in Pinwheel Forest, Challenge Rock. Marshal's master had taken him here long ago, to test his resolve, his will to have dominion over any obstacle. every year since then, he'd traveled back to this spot, each time running from a farther distance to make the challenge tougher. This year, he had run all the way from his home at the Pokemon League and now his cream-colored uniform was so sweat-soaked it looked as if he had jumped in a pool. The bottom of his floppy pant legs had turned from orange to brown from the dirt that caked them. Panting and wheezing, he slowly, reverently walked up to the great stone, as if he were on holy ground. This was where he had caught his Sawk, his Throh and his Timburr, how he'd saved enough money to become a Pokemon Trainer, and where he had been made a true martial artist.

He crouched before the hard, unforgiving surface, just as he always did. Far away, he could hear the toll of the bell in Celestial Tower. Then, with a speed that blurred his arm, he twisted his body and punched the rock, slamming his tempered fist right into it's craggy bulk. As his hand came away, a chunk of it fell off, revealing the precious metal underneath that made the rock harder than any other, as well as much more valuable. A Star Piece, the glimmering, silvery core of the Challenge Rock, the reward of those skilled enough to break it. He grinned as he slipped it into his jacket and began the run home. It would buy a perfect gift for Shauntal whenever she got back from her gathering of ghost type trainers. Until then, this was just one of the things Marshal did to keep busy, so he would forget how much he missed her…He missed her so much.

_Next time, we'll see how Shauntal's doing at her Ghost-type convention :)_


	15. Melody

_A somewhat longer drabble, and the equal but opposite to Marshal's earlier Fighting-type brawl drabble :)_

**Drabble 15: Melody**

"Now take a deep breath, let your mind open like a blossom, let the world fall away like orange peels..."

Shauntal wanted to laugh at the orange peels part, but she knew Agatha was serious. You didn't question the Ghost-type Elite of Kanto. She and the other famous Ghost users of the world had gathered at the top of Mt. Pyre to hone their spiritual senses. Morty was already in intense meditation, though occasionally his foot twitched. Phoebe was slowly dancing about in a trance-like state, a serene smile on her face. Fantina, her purple hair loosed for this occasion and wearing a plain black gown, clasped her hands and was muttering something in French very rapidly. Agatha herself stood at the base of the shrine, her short stature no less intimidating. A soft melody drifted around them, the voices of priestesses of the shrine calling to the afterlife.

Shauntal had looked forward to the trip (she thought the spirituality would inspire her in some way, whether though divinity or practical observation). But this just felt...awkward. Although she loved Ghost-types, she had never been a highly spiritual person. Sure she enjoyed writing about supernatural events and magical creatures and even spirits, but she had never seriously pondered the meaning of life after death. She didn't need to. Obviously there was life after death, or there wouldn't be Ghost-types. She supposed she should think more on such things, for story ideas if nothing else...

She sat as still as possible, hoping that she looked like someone legitimately connecting to the spirit world. That was the other thing: she had no supernatural senses whatsoever. She had never seen a spirit that hadn't purposefully and obviously shown itself to her (her first encounter with her Golurk at Dragonspiral Tower had scared the daylights out of her, in fact). Shauntal didn't exactly consider herself a material person, but she felt sorely out of place in this magical congregation.

So Shauntal tried doing what she normally did: daydreaming. She liked zoning out, and needed to do it a lot in order to come up with her stories. She let her mind wander, and it went over various scenarios, including one that she had at least 20 versions of because she couldn't decide how to do that one important event. That other story she needed to start working on again soon if she was still stuck on the main one. That _other_ other story she had been meaning to work on forever, but needed to finish other things up first. Various vague story ideas, little and big. Then back to yet another version of that important scene that was bugging her. She wondered how Marshal was doing...

Poor Marshal...he would have to spend a week without her around. She hoped he wasn't moping around too much. She kinda wished he was here, so she would feel less out of place...of course he would be bored out of his mind so that probably wouldn't be fair...But she still wanted him here, even if all he did was give her a great big hug and kiss and...she probably shouldn't be thinking of this kind of thing while she was trying to be spiritual and stuff...

This was the first day of her enlightenment trip, and already she couldn't stop thinking about him. It was going to be a long week...

_IIIIII_

_It occurred to me that Shauntal doesn't have the supernatural vibe that most of the other Ghost-type users have, so she would be out of place in a gathering like this XD. _


	16. Zest

_Another longer drabble. I didn't realize how long it was until I looked at the wordcount actually XD. Anyway, enjoy!_

**Drabble 16: Zest**

Shauntal's birthday was coming up and Marshal was nearly out of his mind in preparation. That lovely, smiling, purple-haired girl would love anything he gave her, he knew, but he wanted to absolutely dazzle her, make her jump up and hug him with joy. She kept her emotions bottled up so much and only rarely did she allow them to come gushing out in a torrent of either extreme happiness, or sadness. Making her happy was his biggest goal in life, even bigger than becoming Pokemon Champion which had been his dream since he was nine. That was all he ever wanted, to see her smiling every minute.

He was poor, something he wasn't proud of. His position as one of the Elite Four of the Unova region provided him with food and a place to stay, though it did little in the way of actual money. Shauntal had made a small fortune from her success as an author and even though he won his cage fights almost every time, they still didn't pull in enough for him to get her a mansion like they dreamed, at least not a for a while.

More often he would make her something. She seemed to like that kind of gift better anyway, since it came straight from his heart. One year he'd painted her a picture of two characters from one of her books. It could still be seen hanging on the wall of her battle room. This time he'd spent days on the shores of Driftveil city, fishing for Kingler. Seafood was Shauntal's favorite and Kingler legs were the best dish in the world to her. Her mouth practically watered at just hearing the words.

Marshal grinned as he sat on the gritty brown shore of Driftveil Bay, holding his super-rod and watching his pokeball-colored bobber go under after an hour and a half of motionlessness. With the reflexes of a master, he yanked the rod up, pulling up yet another huge, red crab. His Breloom knocked it down to critical health with a single Sky Uppercut and then put it to sleep with Spore. Then he caught it with an ultra ball and set it next to the other two nestled in the sand beside him. Just two more catches and he'd be done. He'd emptied every space in his party, save one for his Breloom, so he could catch five of the ornery, red delicacies. Then he would take them straight to the Striaton Brothers. They would prepare them with just the kind of zest Shauntal liked and for a fair price, too.

He was humming a cheery tune, pleased with himself when something whizzed by across the water. He only saw it for a second, but it looked like a tall tanned boy with blue hair whooping with joy as he rode by on a gigantic Wailord. Marshal recognized him as Marlon, one of the new Gym Leaders. A tall, foamy wake trailed behind the Pokemon and the resulting wave surged toward Marshal. Quick as a ninja, he backflipped away... before remembering he'd left the Kinglers!

"No!" Marshal shouted as he dashed toward the balls, but the water had already washed over them. As the wave receded, he frantically looked over where they had been. All he saw was dark sand. "NO!NO!NO!" He screamed with rage as he stomped the water, beat the surf like it was an enemy.

"Marshal?" he heard from behind, that sweet familiar voice. "What's wrong?"

He turned to see Shauntal standing there, a notebook under arm. She must have come here to write.

"I was looking for you, you know," Shauntal said. "What are you doing out here anyway? Trying to catch a Poliwrath or something?"

"I was fishing for Kingler legs for you," Marshal said glumly. "Your birthday's tomorrow. I worked so hard. I've been here since Monday, but... but they," he kicked the water. "I'm sorry, I'm-"

His girlfriend hugged him. "It's okay, it's okay. That's so sweet that you spent all that time trying to get me something special, but you didn't have to. You already got me a present."

"Huh?" Marshal asked, sniffling.

"That poem you wrote for me last week," Shauntal said, smiling just like he'd wanted. "It was so pretty and it made me so happy. I don't need anything else."

Marhsal smiled too and took her in his big, muscled arms. He'd just written that because it had come to him. It was how he felt about her. "I love you."

"Oh, I love you too," Shauntal replied, kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey, why don't you help me out," Marshal said, waving his super rod. "I bet if we both fish, we'll have a Kingler leg dinner for you by tomorrow."

"Sounds great," Shauntal replied. They sat down beside each other and she took out her own super rod. The sun was setting in the distance and the green haired boy was sailing off into the horizon. "I love coming to the beach with you."

"Me too," Marshal said, putting down his rod and tackling her into the sand, making her giggle. They only got a little fishing done that night, both of them easily getting bored of that, but something told Marshal he'd made her even happier than seafood ever could. That was satisfying.

_IIIIII_

_Even on the worst days that certain something can make you feel better :). Sometimes we all try too hard to be fancy XD._


	17. Tranquility

_Another fluffy, and perhaps a little ironic, drabble this time, for a couple of reasons :P._

**Drabble 17: Tranquility**

Normally Shauntal liked the sheltered tranquility of the indoors. It allowed her to funnel her creativity better, and her job required it anyway. Often darkness, daydreams, sweets and privacy were all she needed. Oh, and Marshal. But that was different.

But that didn't mean she was a total shut-in. She enjoyed traveling and seeing new places too. Sometimes she rode on Drifblim and let it glide aimlessly, as she gazed upon the many curves and greenery of the land below. Other times she lingered in the crowded cities, quietly observing all the people and their Pokemon skitter to their destinations. During the summer she visited Cynthia almost daily, doing drabbles when everyone else left to frolic in the sea.

Those were mostly solitary activities. But the summer fair at Nimbasa was a social gathering, and for the first time she actually had someone to come with her as a date. So, once she tracked him down to Challenge Rock, Shauntal happily invited Marshal to go to the fair with her. Marshal or course accepted.

But she noticed once they got to the fair that Marshal seemed uneasy. He rushed to buy her treats from the vendors, or win her prizes from the games. There were plenty of hugs and kisses too. But whenever she wanted to go onto Elesa's roller coaster, one of her favorite rides, Marshal would hastily divert them elsewhere. They rode the spinning Lotad cups, bumper Tauros, and a couple of Gogoats at the petting zoo, but when she mentioned the roller coaster…

"Do you...not like roller coasters?" Shauntal finally asked.

Marshal was quiet for a moment. "...Not really," he finally admitted. "I hate the speed."

"Really?" asked Shauntal. "That surprises me. I mean, you're always so brave. I would think that you'd love roller coasters."

"Sorry," he replied. "I just don't like them. I don't have any control over what's going on."

"Oh," Shauntal replied. "Well, I was hoping that you would ride with me. I like roller coasters, but they're a lot more fun when you're with someone."

Marshal paused again. "I'll ride with you if you really want me to. I love you."

"Oh, um, only if you really want to," Shauntal quickly added. "I don't want to be selfish or anything."

"It's okay, I'll do it," Marshal answered. He grinned. "It's stupid for me to be afraid of roller coasters anyway. Besides, I'll be with you."

Shauntal beamed. "Oh thank you, Marshal! Don't worry, we'll have fun together!"

They waited in line for a good half-hour for a five-minute ride. It was fast, twisty, loud, and Shauntal loved it when she wasn't frightened out of her mind. Marshall was clenching the bar and absolutely silent, eyes squeezed shut. When they got off Shauntal wanted to go again, but she could tell Marshall didn't, and left with him to go to the Ferris Wheel instead. The point to being here wasn't to ride the roller coasters _all_ day. It to be with him.

"Don't worry, I still love you," said Shauntal, though she couldn't help but be a bit amused.

"I love you too..." answered Marshal, looking a bit green in the face. "Now that I've done that, You have to go on the Pendulum Boat with me. It's only fair."

Now Shauntal was the one who was paler, with a nervous smile. "Oh, uh…yeah, sure Marshal…"

_IIIIII_

_Funny how the prompt Tranquility kinda inspired the opposite XD. Oh well, hoped you liked anyway. _


	18. Crevice

_Quite a lengthy one this time, probably more like a oneshot than a drabble. Oh well XD. This takes place right after the first drabble, btw (when Shauntal first kisses Marshal)_

**Drabble 18: Crevice**

Marshal woke to a strange taste, which in itself was weird. He'd never woken to a taste before, let alone this thick, wet kind. As he opened his eyes, he saw Shauntal's smooth face, her closed eyes and was utterly dumbfounded as he realized that she was kissing him. As he came to his senses, he put a hand around her head and kissed her back. he'd wanted this ever since he'd seen her smile after he won her that plushie at the Nimbasa Carnival. When at last she pulled away, blushing, but grinning with joy, he asked "...Isn't this supposed to be the other way around?"

Shauntal laughed and hugged him, which somehow felt even better than the kiss. He could see Grimsley and Caitlin and Alder staring at them over Shauntal's shoulder, but for once he didn't care. Right now it didn't matter what they thought, because he was at last truly happy.

IIIIII

After the real hero defeated N and the green haired-boy flew off to Arceus knew where, the next two weeks was one big cleaning and construction operation. Team Plasma's castle had to be removed, piece by piece, brick by brick (How had N even hidden it there?) along with the rubble that was left of their own hall and battle rooms, which had to be rebuilt before any new challengers could be safely admitted.

Everyone pitched in, including volunteers from throughout Unova who loved and supported the the elite four, but in the end it fell to Marshal, Caitlin and Shauntal to do most of the work. The simple reason for this was, they and their Pokemon were the ones that could move the most material the fastest. Marshal and his Fighting-types were forceful enough to break the castle apart and strong enough to carry huge pieces of it away. Caitlin and her Psychic-types could do the same with their minds. Shauntal's Golurk was huge enough to dismantle entire rooms and the rest of her Pokemon knew the move Psychic as well.

Alder's primary bug types were no help in the this endeavor, and only Grimsley's Scrafty, Bisharp and Krookodile had the power to assist, so naturally the other three spent most of of their time together, working.

Marshal never missed a chance to hang out with Shauntal during their breaks. He let her know how much her loved her, and that he'd never let someone put her in danger again. But all other times, he acted like a beast. He ripped through walls with his fists, cracked pillars with kicks and once put a huge, crawling crevice in the castle's second floor with a single strike of his palm heel. He would run seven miles to the edge of the mesa that was the foundation of their building with thirty pound chunks of stone in his arms, only to throw them over the edge and run back for more. Larger boulders he would push to the mesa's end, or simply chop them into pieces and grind the pebbles into dust in his grip. His pokemon did much the same and they all competed to see who could do it best.

Marshal accomplished the most by far, and everyone congratulated his diligence...save Caitlin. Marshal's demolition was loud and it disrupted her concentration when she was trying to move things with her telekinesis. It also woke her from her naps that she needed to recharge her powers. And frankly, he annoyed her.

"I know you're trying to show off how tough you are," she remarked snidely when she confronted him. "But some of us are actually trying to get work done!"

"What you should be doing is using this as an opportunity for training," Marshal snapped back, sweat dripping down his face as he leaned against fallen ceiling tile. "We would all be dead if that N brat wasn't as nice as he was. If it wasn't for that other kid, no one would have their Pokemon. We _failed_, Caitlin. We let everyone down. How can you just live with that without without trying to get stronger?"

"Because I'm not some manchild, who thinks every problem can be solved by punching it! There was nothing we could've done to stop N. The only thing that can stop a legendary pokemon is another legendary pokemon. We lost because we were meant to. Reshiram beat Zekrom because it was meant to and It all worked in the end because it was fated to. The whole thing was out of our hands."

"Then what in the heck are we for?" Marshal asked. "What's this league for, if not to protect the people of this region and their pokemon? How can you call yourself one of the Elite Four?"

Caitlin made a huffing sound that implied Marshal was too stupid to talk to. "You're so insecure. I don't have to be psychic to read your mind. You think the entire value of your life depends on how great you are. When you beat someone, you think you're so much better than them and when you lose, you want to go jump of a cliff."

"And what's wrong with that?" Marshal asked. "I don't think someone who let a psychopath to go raging through our hall and threaten the relationship between people and Pokemon deserves to feel secure. My guilt is driving me to push myself to a higher level. What are you doing to make sure this doesn't happen again?"

"If it happens again, it will be the same." Caitlin said calmly. "We cannot defeat a legendary, just as you will never defeat me with your type disadvantage." And like lightning a huge piece of staircase flew at Marshal from behind Caitlin's back. Marshal jumped, turned and shot his leg straight backward, shattering the marble to pieces. He also broke the second chunk of debris that Caitlin sent at him from behind.

Marshal walked toward her, ignoring the pressure she was putting on his mind with her psychic ability. His overtraining had helped him grow used to pain. He strode right up to her, despite her attempts to force him back "Are you sure about that?"

Caitlyn glared at Marshal, and he felt the pressure on him increase. Then, like a candle blown out, the power dissipated and Marshal was released. Caitlyn huffed and walked away.

This was not the time or the place for a battle, so they simply got back to work, moving to opposite sides of the castle. Neither of them knew that Shauntal had been behind a crumbling wall, listening to the whole thing.

"You were right," she told him that night. "We messed up and I just stood there and watched it happen. I want to get stronger too."

Marshal smiled and kissed her. "Thank you, Shauntal. But Caitlin's right about my type disadvantage. I came here to beat Alder and become the Champion, but I can't even beat her, much less a legendary. Tell me the truth, Shauntal. Am I wasting my time training?"

"No," she said at once. "A lot of times I'm too lazy to practice, but when I see you training and how fast you improve, it makes me want to get off my butt and do it too. You've already fought through so much to get here. I know you can beat her and Alder and whoever else you want, as long as you keep working for it. You can do it."

"I love you."

"Oh, I love you tooooooo."

The two trainers hugged.

"Can you teach me how to write?" Marshal asked, when finally let go.

"Sure?" Shauntal answered with a smile, though she looked a bit puzzled. "Why?"

"Because arguing is hard," Marshal replied childishly. "I want to show people that they can get better and do anything they want if they just work hard, but talking to people like Caitlin doesn't work. I can't punch them either. I need to tell people in a way where they can't argue back, where they have to think about what I'm saying before they just blow it off."

"Yeah," Shauntal nodded. "I can help you with that."

_IIIIII_

_Marshal writing, you say? That should be interesting XD. Hope you liked!_


	19. Synopsis

_Now here's a drabble a lot of writers can relate to, especially when they have writer friends XP._

**Drabble 19: Synopsis**

"So here's the synopsis," Shauntal began. "A Trainer, let's call him Ash for now, is off traveling as usual when he meets a very unusual challenger - a person who looks just like himself!"

"So, he has a long-lost twin?" Marshal asked. They were currently in Shauntal's battle room, the many, many books looming over them like specters. Some were books she had written herself, and some of it were books filled with her own outlines and ideas, but many were from other authors, favorite novels kept around for inspiration. Chandelure lazily floated about, casting dim but effective illumination.

"No actually," Shauntal went on cheerfully. She was normally a quiet, shy person, but get her talking about story stuff..."Well, that's what he thinks at first, but this person has a...very surreal feel to him. Very serious, while this Ash guy is a happy type. Like staring at a zombie version...no, uh, more like a ghost of yourself, only you're still alive and stuff. Or...something like that. Um...so, you see-

"I love you," Marshal said. Both of them often said this randomly.

"...I love you too," Shauntal answered with both sweetness and distraction. "So anyway, this guy, the twin-copy guy that is, challenges the Ash guy to a Pokemon battle. So the Ash guy immediately accepts-"

"Like a moron," Marshal interjected.

"...Yeah, it is a kind of stupid thing to do, isn't it? Hmm..." Shauntal replied with a frown, pausing. "I dunno, would you fight a copy of yourself, Marshal?"

"Yeah!" Marshal answered, pumping his fist into the air. "Not gonna let some fake me show me up!"

"...I guess it should be okay then," Shauntal said. "I mean, it would be creepy to find some clone of you, but it's sort of fascinating too, I guess. I mean, you got to wonder how much the copy is really like you. As in, is it actually like a person, like me, or does it just, well, look human? So this Ash guy decides to find out by accepting his challenge..."

"And they should have the most epic battle ever!" interrupted Marshal.

"...Um, yes, I was getting to that," Shauntal said. "So Ash sends out his Pokemon, and Not-Ash sends out his Pokemon. They both send out Charizard...only, the Not-Ash Charizard is also a Not-Charizard and it starts melting and stuff starts getting corrupted and-"

"Wait, can you repeat that?" asked Marshal.

Shauntal stopped her fast rambling, and began to talk at a more regular pace. "The other Charizard isn't really a Charizard. It starts out looking like one, but then its body becomes all warped and melty. The air around them gets strange, like it's shimmering with heat, only there's no heat, it's cold. And no matter what Pokemon Ash uses or what attack Ash's Pokemon hit it with, it just gets back up and starts attacking again...and, uh..."

"Then what?"

"...I'm not sure," Shauntal admitted. "That's what I need your help with. I don't know how to end it. I mean, I want there to be a overall happy ending, but I feel like there's going to be serious consequences to this..."

As they began to discuss possibilities, Shauntal felt better already. It was so good to have Marshal to discuss ideas with. Whatever writer that said they worked alone was either a liar or a very lonely person.

_IIIIII_

_Sometimes it helps a lot to have someone to discuss ideas with XD. Hope you enjoyed!_


	20. Xyloid

_Just so you guys know, xyloid means wood or woodlike. You're welcome :P. It took us awhile to find the meaning of this word, much less what to do with it..._

**Drabble 20: Xyloid**

Xyloid, balance, glue

"Li...Like this?" Shauntal asked meekly as she stepped forward and tossed her fist in front of her.

"Almost," Marshal smiled, trying to be as helpful as possible. "Try to bend your front leg further when you step and keep your back leg straight so they make a triangle with the ground." He demonstrated, thrusting himself powerfully into a low, stable stance and twisting his hips as he fired an arrow-straight punch. "That's where all the power comes from. And make sure your fist travels in a straight line, or else all the power will get lost in your arm."

"Oh, Um... Okay…" She replied. Marshal was still holding the deep stance and keeping his elbow locked in punch position to show what hers should look like. Shauntal cast a curious eye on his callused, xyloid knuckles and touched them tenderly. "How'd your hands get so hard and tight?"

"From punching hard things," Marshal explained, grinning proudly. "Walls and stones and a Makiwara. That's a tree with a rope wrapped around it. I wouldn't recommend that for you though, unless you wanna ruin your good writing hands."

"Yeah, ow," Shauntal said with a humorous smile.

"Try again," Marshal said, suspecting she was trying to stall.

Shauntal did as she was told and bent her stepping leg as Marshal had instructed, but her balance was so poor that she stepped down on the side of her foot. She slipped, squealing with fear as she grabbed Marshal's Jacket and stuck to him like glue.

"I've got you," Marshal assured, wrapping his arms around her. _This is the most basic punch there is_, he thought worriedly. _I can't make it any easier._

Shauntal had asked him to teach her some basic techniques, so she could get a feel for them and write fighting scenes more accurately. However, it seemed she had no aptitude for physical skills at all. Marshal was starting to realize why she wouldn't enter that couples dance contest with him, or that figure skating class, and why she always squeaked when he picked her up and put her down.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Shauntal admitted.

"Maybe," Marshal never could lie to her. "Do you really want to learn?"

"Not really," Shauntal admitted further. "I really do want to know how fighting feels... I just... don't really... like it... at all."

Marshal chuckled. "I figured. I could tell just by looking at you." He lifted her up on her feet and kissed her. "Come here. I'll teach you something I know you'll enjoy." She giggled as he kissed her again.

"And that's my queue to leave," Alder said pointedly from far away. He had been curious how this little training session would turn out. Now he abruptly turned, walked away and didn't look back.

_IIIIII_

_Meh, probably not the best use of the prompt word, but we weren't sure what else to do with it XD. I hope you liked the drabble anyway._


	21. Nihilism

_And now for a battle! :D A short battle, but a battle nontheless_

**Drabble 21: Nihilism**

The breaking point for Marshal was Caitlin's nihilistic attitude and her psychic snipes at his head. The breaking point for Shauntal was when Grimsley insulted her writing. The excuse for all of them was proving which Pokemon type was best. So Alder found himself walking in halfway through a colossal Double Battle, with Shauntal and Marshal versus Caitlin and Grimsley. The main chamber was already a mess, but Alder wasn't that concerned. Instead, he chose to observe the battle. He hung back in the shadows so he wouldn't be noticed.

It was Grimsley's Bisharp and Caitlin's Metagross against Shauntal's Chanderlure and Marshal's Throh, all four showing signs of fatigue. Throh headed for Bisharp, but was slammed aside by a Zen Headbutt from Metagross. Bisharp then charged forward and struck Chandelure with a Night Slash. The ghost chandelier reeled back, but then spewed a Flamethrower at it. Bisharp nimbly dodged the flames, but it was not the target: Metagross screeched metallically as it was blindsided by the fire. Throh then grabbed the weakened metal monster's legs, spun it around, and tossed it into Bisharp right before it could attack Chandelure again. The heated metal of Metagross's hull agonized and enfeebled Bisharp, which made it an easy target for Chandelure's Fire Blast and Throh's Superpower. Both enemy Pokemon were knocked out by the tandem attack.

Alder smirked as he watched Shauntal and Marshal hug each other while Caitlin and Grimsley skulked off to their rooms. He knew it wasn't just raw power and type advantage that won that fight: it was the bond and understanding between the Pokemon and their Trainers. Plus Shauntal and Marshal knew each other better, and could better coordinate each other's attacks. Alder hoped that Grimsley and Caitlin, always loners, would understand that someday as well.

Alder left as unnoticed as he had come. He wasn't ready to return to the League tonight. He'd rather avoid the staff's complaints about the main hall mess, for one. Let Marshal and his brawny Pokemon clean it up.

_IIIIII_

_I feel like Shauntal and Marshal would do well in a double battle, since their types share no weaknesses (they mostly over each other's weaknesses, actually.) And of course some random Alder here and there is fun too :P. Hope you liked!_


	22. Valor

_Here's some more fluff :P. Btw, using the American spelling for valor cause, well, we're American. _

**Drabble 22: Valor**

Marshal and Shauntal lay next to each other in her dark chamber, the blinds drawn and the everpresent flames of her chandelier Pokemon nowhere to be seen. They were watching TV as they usually did on weekends on her rather large flatscreen, something every writer needed (according to Shauntal), in order to come across new ideas. An empty box of pizza sat off to the aside along with various other snack wrappers. Beyond that Shauntal's most recent notebooks and papers were stacked in utter disorder. The current cartoon was about a swordsman who trained every day in the forest so he could protect his wife and family from the bandits that often chanced upon their village. He cared nothing for the valor or glory of battle, just the ones he loved.

"Do you think I'm as tough as that guy?" Marshal asked, snuggling up next to his beautiful, purple-haired girlfriend.

"Of course," Shauntal answered, smiling. "You're so strong, and brave and manly..."

"But, are you sure?" he soudned genuinely concerned. "I mean, I train a lot and it's been a while since I've lost a fight, but I've never done anything like that." On the screen, a sneering man with a knife in each hand was approaching a woman and two small children who were huddled in a corner. He and his two cronies charged at the defenseless noncombatants, but when they came through the doorway, the swordsman was behind it, cutting the first in half and severing the heads of the next two. "I'm still just an amateur compared to a lot of martial artists in the world, not to mention all the Trainers who've come through here and beaten me. I spend all my time here as one of the Elite Four, but I've never really gone and helped anybody." His head hung. "I'll never be the best."

"Oh, sure you will. Someday," Shauntal said sweetly, ruffling his short, blonde hair. "I believe in you. For now, you're just like this guy. You keep me safe."

"But you don't need protection," Marshal replied.

"Uh huh," Shauntal said. "And why do you think that is? Everyone knows what happened to those Team Plasma members who attacked me during N's assault. I wonder if that one guy can move yet?"

Marshal kissed her, squeezing her tight in that way she loved. He remembered why he had become a member of the Elite Four and ended his days as a roaming trainer. "If all I can do is make you happy and keep you safe your whole life," he spoke passionately, "then that's be just fine, 'cause then I'll know I'll have made somebody's life better than it would've been without me."

"Oh," Shauntal cooed. "Thank you. You're my hero."

"Really?"

"Of course," She buried her face in his chest and he stroked her smooth, purple hair. "I just said so, silly."

_IIIIII_

_Sometimes the best things in life are the simple moments :)_


	23. Pallidity

_Note: some suggestiveness in this one. You have been warned :P_

**Drabble 23: Pallidity**

"Hey Marshal, you know where Shauntal is?" Grimsley called, as he began to open the door to Marshal's battle room. "We're going to have a meeting in..." He stopped, his face the picture of shock. He abruptly closed the door. "Nevermind..."

"You've reached a new level of pallidity, I see," said Caitlyn, calm as ever as she came down from her own room. "I didn't think that was even possible."

"Speak for yourself, Snow White," grumbled Grimsley. "...You knew about that, didn't you?"

"I am a psychic, you know," said Caitlyn. "Also my room is next door. I could hear them."

Grimsley groaned. "Then why didn't you warn me? So you could make fun of me later?"

Caitlyn smiled just slightly. "Your future reaction was too tempting not to watch." She returned to her normal bland expression. "Those two really are too much sometimes, though...I don't even understand how those two ended up together in the first place."

"Why don't you read their minds?" asked Grimsley with a smirk.

"I'm not that type of psychic."

"Wait, then how did you beat me at all those games of poker?" asked Grimsley.

"Because I'm better than you."

_IIIIII_

_It's fun writing some on Grimsley and Caitlyn as well, especially their reactions to Marshal and Shauntal's antics XD. Btw...have we been using two different spellings for Caitlyn's name. If so, we'll need to fix that later X)._


	24. Underhand

_Here's another drabble for us writers out there, and the things that inspire us :)._

**Drabble 24: Underhand**

_And with the mightiest of underhand blows, the Sky Uppercut, the beaten, battered, Blaziken blasted the Salamence in the chin on its pass for a Wing Attack that would have been the end of him. The huge beast tumbled through the air and crashed into the mountainside, defeated. Blaziken had finally done what all his fighting type friends had said he could never accomplish. As he jumped onto the unconscious body of the great dragon, declaring freedom for all the Pokemon who cheered for him in the valley below, he knew that this was the victory that would finally make him feel strong._

Grinning, Marshal tossed down his pen at last and blew the soreness from his achy hand. After a year and a half, he'd finally finished his first novel. It wasn't perfect, but it was his and maybe Shauntal's publisher would like it anyway, at least after a revision or two. As he sat up and looked around Shauntal's battle room, where she'd allowed him to work on his book due to its ample supply of pens, pencils, paper and books for ideas and curing writers block, his eyes passed over an old paperback titled. _The Device_.

He shuddered, remembering the first time he had seen and been curious. It was one of his girlfriend's earlier works and though it hadn't been a bestseller, it had certainly filled him with dread. It hadn't scared Marshal. Not much really scared him, except roller coasters and failure, but the gritty, relentless detail of the horrible machine in the story had made him shudder. It began with a cute little Teddiursa, drawn into a tiny, dark, metal cave by the scent of honey. That was when the horror began.

The cave was a trap, made for unsuspecting, innocent little Pokemon like the Teddiursa. It had locked steel walls around him, caging him and rolling him down a conveyor belt to where a gigantic Steelix was waiting in a hellishly deep cavern to eat him. It was by pure chance that when he fell from the conveyor belt and the Steelix was opening its maw to receive him, a kind Crobat had caught the Teddiursa and flown him into the safe little nook high in the cavern wall. The Steelix forgot about them, but there were other things in that Arceus-forsaken cave: Ruthless Druddigon, blind Primeape that would eat anything, lakes full of deadly Sharpedo. The two small Pokemon spent four years carefully navigating their way out of that place. They made friends of others who escaped the device that had brought them there, but all of them died on the journey home, from the ravenous cave Pokemon, or starvation or poison gas from the depths of the earth. Too many times Teddiursa had wanted to give up, but at last, when he and his friend Crobat finally made it to the surface, Hungry Druddigon were chasing after them. Crobat flew back inside, sacrificing itself for his friend, who was by now an Ursaring.

Ursaring was distraught by the loss of his friend, but determined not to make his death for nothing. However, the exit to the great cave was not truly an exit, but another cage that lifted Ursaring up into the ranks of the other Pokemon strong enough to survive the cave. It was just another part of the Device. There it was forced to serve Team Rocket, who created the whole thing as cruel assembly line to make the strongest Pokemon for its members. Ursaring never escaped the Device.

Marshal had argued with Shauntal for hours after reading it. So angry that Ursaring had suffered such a fate and wondering why anyone would make a story without a happy ending. Shauntal had explained to him that the reaction he was having was precisely the reason why she had given it that ending, to show that things don't always work out. Sometimes a terrible, dirty ending made for a better book than a happy one that the reader was expecting, one they've already read a hundred times. Marshal still didn't agree. After all, the point of a book was to teach the reader about what's right and wrong, but he couldn't deny how great _The Device _was. It had thrilled him, made him stay up long nights when he should've been resting for the next days training, unable to wait to find out what happened next. It was that book that got Marshal interested in horror, made him love it almost as much as the action and adventure genres.

_Maybe next I'll write something scary_, Marshal thought as he closed his notebook, picked it up and went to find Shauntal so he could show her his finished product.

_IIIIII_

_Remember, even when your stories seem to take forever and there are little reviews for it, it's important to keep going. If nothing else, so you can say that you finish what you start :)._


	25. Hysteria

_This one gave me some trouble. I ended up throwing out the original version and wrote this one instead. Hope you like!_

**Drabble 25: Hysteria**

"Shauntal, what's wrong?" asked Marshal, noticing that Shauntal seemed to lack her usual cute peppiness.

Shauntal stayed quiet at first, plopping down on one of Marshal's workout benches. "Um, Marshal?"

"Yeah?"

"You know how…well, _exciting_ life's been lately?" Shauntal began. "I mean, with everything with N and Team Plasma and the legendary dragons and all?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Shauntal," Marshal interjected.

"Oh no, no, it's not that!" Shauntal hastily rectified. "I mean, it's just…"

"Do you want to break up with me, because of how weak I am?"

"Of course not!" Shauntal answered. "I love you! It's not you! I just…I don't know what to write anymore!"

"What do you mean?" asked Marshal.

"I mean, life is so exciting, so surprising and unreal right now that I don't think I can make my stories shocking anymore," whined Shauntal. "I'm outclassed by reality!"

Marshal sat down next to Shauntal, who looked on the borderline of hysteria. "No way, I still love your stories! And I think I speak for all of your fans when I say we'll never get sick of your stuff. No matter what happens in real life, people are always gonna want to escape to something else. That's why stories have never gone out of style, not even during wars."

"…Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Marshal replied, hugging her. "There's no way that real life can be as crazy as _you_. Though I guess legendary dragons owned by some brats does come pretty close."

Shauntal giggled, letting herself relax and enjoy his warmth. "Yeah, I guess you're right. If nothing else, there's always _MissingNo and the Death Trainers_, right?"

"Yeah, and I know that's just the tip of all the things inside your head."

_IIIIII_

_We've all had those days :P. Just have to power through them._


	26. Reminiscence

_And this concludes the Alphabet Challenge! :D Thank you to all who have read this far!_

**Drabble 26: Reminiscence**

Marshal picked up the busted piece of wood, the fourth leg of the table which now lay slanted on its side. "Yep, it's broken all right."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Shauntal replied. "Should we try to fix it, or throw it out?"

Such a simple question, yet it shocked Marshal how long he would have to think about the answer. It was just a cheap, pine table, bought at an auction in Mistralton for fifteen dollars, nothing special or rare about it. Every once in a while, the Mistralton Airport auctioned off items that hadn't been claimed in a year or more and the two Elites had come there to bid on an extremely rare item called an Odd Keystone. Supposedly it would help Shauntal to find the Pokemon Spiritomb in the Sinnoh region.

However, they were grossly outbid by none other than Cynthia, and Marshal would've done anything to make Shauntal's sad, disappointed look back into a smile. So when the final dregs of the auction items were called and Shauntal said "Nobody's bidding on that table. I could use something to write on in my Battle Room." Marshal's hand shot up and one more bid later, the table was theirs.

Marshal himself carried the thing all the way to the Celestial Tower with one hand, just to prove how strong he was and from there, a very impressed and much happier Shauntal flew it back to the League on her Golurk. She had used it that very day to write her frustrations away. Marshal was watching, listening, and otherwise trying to help improve the story any way he could.

The table was the one they used when Shauntal began teaching Marshal to write, showing him all of her work and the techniques used by her favorite authors. Marshal often saw her feet propped up on the wooden surface when she was reading a book. They ate there on weekdays during their lunch breaks between challengers and sometimes for dinner too. They'd snuggled on it three or four times, but that was just uncomfortable.

Sometimes on weekends they'd use the table to host the League's weekly game of poker, or liar's dice. Marshal remembered laughing every time Grimsley checked underneath it, to make sure he wasn't cheating. When Marshal was first learning to do one-legged squats he'd come all the way here just to use this table. It was the perfect height and very stable. He'd come back to the table a few months later to stack boxes on it and practice his precision high kicks.

But most of all, here was where Shauntal and Marshal would do nothing but sit and talk, for minutes or for hours, about Pokemon, or personal problems, urgent news, or life. They'd laughed here, cried here, learned about each other and themselves at this table. Milk and apple juice had been spilled on it, but Shauntal's greatest masterpiece was also written here. It was chipped and banged from their Pokemon playing around it, but this table was where Marshal had first told Shauntal "I love you." And at last, he knew the answer.

"No need to waste our money," he said casually. "Throh and I'll clamp a strip of steel around it, and then Sawk will pound it down around the wood with its knuckles. Your Chandelure can weld it tight, and then it'll be stronger than before it broke."

"Yeah," Shauntal answered. "Sounds good."

As Marshal left to go get the metal he needed, he looked at Shauntal and she smiled back at him. He didn't need to say anything. She knew.

_IIIIII_

_Okay, that's all the drabbles...for now. If you want to see more, be sure to review and tell us! Either way, this has been fun :)._


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